I was reminded of another Texasism yesterday. I "push" a button, but around here you "mash" a button on, for example, a radio. Something that's easy to do is "slick as a cow on ice." I love that "slap my momma!" It's so expressive!
Jane, have you noticed that the Texasisms are usually specific to a particular region of Texas too? Like Cheryl having to translate her husband's east Texas phrases. And in the big cities many of the local 'isms' are being lost with the influx of people from other states and countries moving here. It's sad losing some of our language history But the one thing we will never lose is our Texas Drawl!!
I love the sayings i hear when i travel abroad,..i was having a problem with a booking i had in Indiana,..the girl behind the counter was getting into a panic checking the computer booking,.. so i asked,.. am i making you nervous,..she replied as nervous as a long tailed dog in a room full of rocking chairs,..my laughter broke the ice and she solved the problem. When my booking became clear she asked me was i happy now,..i replied,..as happy as a dog in a hubcap factory,..that got her going.
I can hardly wait to use the dog/hubcap factory line! That's great, and soon to go down in the book of "Famous Sayings" I'm sure!
Ahhh....Phillip, when someone cannot sing, but thinks they sound like Caruso, I always say, they sound like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Another one I thought of lately, Don't get above your raising.
My folks are from Tennesse & Arkansas & although I was born & raised in Calif.,I still have quite a few of those "regional" expressions that mom & dad always used. I had an ex-boyfriend look at me like I was demented when he asked me if i'd like any more appetizers.... and I replied "oh, a couple-two-three." Daddy always said "I'm so tired i'm lonesome"; I use it too, once in awhile, & either get a perplexed look or a "that makes no sense".Here in NJ people just don't get " hillbilly"! I agree with you Philip Nulty, about odd sayings in foreign countries. I lived in Pakistan for many years & a common sight in parking lots was the following sign: "Please park your car rightly". I even took a pic. of a sign because it was really funny to me. Here's another Daddy classic ( when he was aggravated at me for one reason or another): "If they put your brains in a jay-bird's hind-end, he'd fly backwards".... pure "daddy"! LOL! moderator's note: removed double posting see point 3.6 of usage rules
It's fun to see how many different sayings people use all over the world. Also words mean different things in different cultures. Some can be pretty funny or embarising if you use the wrong word. Like in Europe and Australia they say "cue up or stand in a cue. Which means line up or stand in a line. I would think that they wanted to play a game of pool. When we were on a trip once here in the US we meet a girl from France who was here on a work visa. We were taking about how she liked it here and where she had worked. Then we got talkiing about the different meaning of words. She said that when she and a friend first came over they need to us a toilet. So they asked if there was a toilet room. The person looked at them and said yes, the bathroom is just down around the corner. Bathroom they said. We do not need a bath, just use a toilet. When my Mom worked at an aluminum factory making pots and pans. Some of the older workers would say to her-look around the corner and see what stands on the aluminum goods clock. I never heard anyone else say "look to see what stands on a clock". What nationality would use that prhase? Or if somone is quick about doing something we would say; he's Johny on the spot. Or if you thought someone was lying to you. You would say that they where-handing you a line. Or you didn't need any of their bull. Or how about-their slower than molasses in January.
This is a very common word used here on this part of the wortld ... we used it as a expression for surprised, impressed, pain and so on!!
